The Princess and the Pea
by RosaF7
Summary: Once upon a time, there was a princess who never wanted to marry a prince, but alas, her father insisted. A retelling of the fairytale 'The Princess and the Pea' with Haruka and Michiru.


_Once upon a time, there was a princess who never wanted to marry a prince, but alas, her father insisted. He travelled all around the world to find such a prince that she would accept, but nowhere could he find a prince she would agree to marry. There were princes enough, but it was difficult to find one that would meet his daughter's exacting standards. There was always something about them that she could not abide, whether it be that he had "an arrogant attitude" or merely that she did not care for "the colour of his shoes", his daughter had high standards and thus far, every prince had fallen terribly short. And he was very sad, as he would very much have liked his beautiful daughter to marry a handsome prince._

"Princess Michiru! Attend to me now!" The King bellowed out, his voice echoing throughout the great halls.

In her bedroom, Princess Michiru ran her brush through her hair, slowly and precisely. Though she heard her father's voice, she did not make to move.

Five more angry yells and then the door quietly opened. Her maid, Setsuna, peered through the door. "My Princess, I fear he shall be livid if you do not attend to him."

The Princess sighed heavily. "Oh, I suppose I will do as I must," She put down her comb, and rose leisurely. Her pale, beautiful face stared back at her from the mirror. Her eyes glittered, and a sly smile sat across her lips. She watched herself in the mirror as she shifted her expression, as her sly smile was replaced by something shyer, something gentler. Anyone who thought to look upon the Princess would think of her as a soft and demure young lady, as proper as one could be.

Pleased with herself, she turned, only to find Setsuna smiling softly to herself.

"Do you have words for me, Setsuna?"

Setsuna clasped the Princess's hand, a gesture no other servant or noble would ever dare, but close they had become, over the many years Setsuna had served Michiru. "Only that you take care with your mischief, my dear Princess. I fear you father does grow impatient with your refusal to wed."

Michiru gave her a rare genuine smile. "Ah, but you see Setsuna, I shall refuse to wed no more. I go now to tell him the good news! It will please him greatly, I do believe!"

Setsuna, knowing her mistress too well now, knew all was not as it seemed, and shook her head to herself as the Princess went to meet her father.

"WHAT SAY YOU?!"

The King glared down at his only daughter. Years they had been searching, _years_. Years upon years of visits from prince after prince, some from the furthest kingdoms. Yet every single one had been rejected by his daughter. This morning he had decided to be lenient no more. Princess Michiru would marry, and marry she must.

But now! This madness?!

"Why father, it is perfectly reasonable."

"It is not reasonable at all!"

Princess Michiru stood, and curtsied. "If I may, father?"

The King sighed, and then shrugged. "Oh you will, in any case, I suppose."

"Father, as you are most aware, I am given to visions. Oft sad and sorrowful visions," Here she paused, to look sadly out of the window.

He grunted loudly. Right she was, his strange and beautiful daughter with her visions.

"Fear and foreboding it is, Father, which tells me I must marry before the next full Moon._Otherwise disaster will part on our Kingdom, a terrible war and a devastating famine, my visions do say_."

The King shuddered with fear and considered the situation. His goal had been to have Michiru marry, and for years she had resisted. And now, she came, with some vision, about some pea under a mattress, and some fellow who would be able to feel it through twenty featherbeds? The vision was strange, no doubt….but he knew well to head her visions, there had been that time, when almost he had been poisoned, and only her gift had saved him. Well, if marry she must before the next full Moon, and if such a marriage could stop disaster befalling upon his Kingdom? There was no reason to refuse, as strange as the method might be.

"If it must be, my dear Michiru, you will marry the first prince that can feel this pea through-"

"Father, if I may, the terms of this vision were _very_specific."

He looked down at her. "Well, do go on then."

"I must marry that person whom will lie upon twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds, and yet, without any knowledge of its existence, still feel the pain of the single pea that lies underneath it all. And this person, and this person _only_, may I wed, and_must_ wed, indeed, by the next full Moon if we are to prevent famine and war from covering our whole kingdom. It is of utmost importance that we heed this vision, Father."

The King nodded seriously. "Well, with this I will agree! And urgently, we must send word, to find this good man –"

"_Please_ remember Father, that they _must_ not know of the pea, otherwise we risk the horror of my vision coming to fruition."

The King thumped his hand down on his seat. "Indeed! I will send word immediately, for all the princes, from all the lands, yet no mention I will make of this pea, and soon my dearest daughter, you will be wed!"

And thus, letters were sent with urgency, messengers on horses riding away into the night, with invites to princes far and wide. And tailors were called in, and plans were made, for this wedding that would take place, before the fateful night of the full Moon.

Princes came from far and wide. With fine words, and expensive gifts, they courted the beautiful Princess. The King asked each one to sleep on rather…._odd_ and excessive bedding, but assuming it to be a custom of the land, each did so eagerly. And yet, to the King's disappointment, each prince appeared the next morning, fresh as ever, with not a word about the pain of sleeping on that tiny little pea.

Time was running out.

The King paced through his chambers. A mere seven days left before the full Moon, and not one had been found who even mentioned the pea. He had been searching for a solution, when Princess Michiru appeared, ever gracefully, at his door.

"Father."

"My dear. Do come in."

The Princess came in and bowed, before taking a seat. Her face was pale, and there appeared to be the slightest trace of tears across it. Had the dear been crying? It must be so tiresome, he thought, for his young daughter to be burdened with such a vision, and to carry such responsibility for preventing war and famine on all his land! The King sighed sadly. The girl was so like her mother, so competent, so capable and so clever that he sometimes forgot that she was just a young girl, seeking to find the man of her dreams. How troubling this must all be!

He took her hands gently. "It will all end well, my treasure. I promise we will find you a handsome prince within the week!"

Her eyes shone and she looked up at him gratefully, squeezing her hands around his. "Oh Father! You are so good to me."

"We will just have to look even further! To the furthest reaches of the known world! And we _will_ find him!"

"Father, you truly give me hope," Princess Michiru gave a small smile. "And I have been thinking on the words of the vision."

"Yes?" He asked hopefully. "Perhaps we have more time?"

She shook her head sorrowfully. "No Father, the timeline is clear. _But_. It was never said that I must marry a prince."

The King's eyes widened. "Are you- are you….are you suggesting we marry you to a mere noble?"

The Princess looked away for a moment before looking back at him. "A noble, perhaps, but Father, we only have a mere seven days now. The truth of the vision is, it may even be a commoner."

He gasped. "I will not allow it!"

Princess Michiru reached up and held his arms. "Father….it is not what I had imagined….but Father, I am willing to make the sacrifice, if I can save our Kingdom. I have been selfish in the past, have lived only for myself, but now…the vision showed me that my life is not merely mine to live, but that I have a responsibility to my title, and I must show myself worthy of that. If it means marrying a commoner….I will do as the vision says."

The King looked proudly at his daughter. Truly, she had grown into an image of her mother! "Oh Michiru, it is not what I would ever have wished upon you, but my darling….if you are willing to make that sacrifice, then I shall stand by you always."

The King pulled his daughter in for an embrace, and the Princess smiled to herself in his arms.

From that day forth, all men of eligible age were invited to the castle, to spend an evening sleeping within one of its many rooms, something many thought very bizarre, but many came, and many left, and not one spoke of any discomfort, not one mentioned a thing.

The King fretted, as the days counted down.

And then, there was one day left.

"It is madness, your plan, your father will never allow it."

"I promised you I would take care of you and I, and that is what I intend to do."

"Please, my love let us flee, tonight! I promise, I will look after you….I know I've not the money….nor…I know I've not much, but my love, I promise, somehow, I'll work all day, all night if I have to, I'd look after you my love –"

The Princess clasped her hand across her lover's mouth. "Hush, my dearest. We've not much time, this eve, and I must have you ready for tomorrow."

Though her lover's face was still lined with worry, a smile came across it. "Why, I half suspect you conceived of this plan merely for the pleasure of this evening."

The Princess smiled in returned. "That would not be necessary, would it my love?"

Her lover leaned over, and kissed her greedily. "No, dearest, I am yours, whenever you wish, and however you wish."

They smiled softly at each other, their eyes locked, their faces just touching. "I love you, so much."

"And I, you."

The next morning, the day of the full Moon, the King woke in despair. No husband had been found for his daughter, and thus their land would fall into famine and war! It was a terrible day, and a terrible fate, and there was nought he could do.

Suddenly, there was a knock on his door, and his servant opened it, letting in the personal maidservant of his daughter. She curtsied quickly, before speaking. "Sir, if I may?"

He nodded, hoping for the best.

"Princess Michiru wishes to inform you that one has been found, my King."

His eyes widened, and his heart beat ever louder. Disaster had been averted! And in addition, his beloved daughter would finally wed! The news was almost too much to bear. "We must hurry," He told Setsuna, and she led him, quickly, through the halls.

In one of the many rooms that had been set up for the mattresses, was his daughter. She stood, staring, at the centre of the room, a beatific smile across her face. He could not help but smile as he, too turned, finally, to meet his future son in law and then –

The man…..the man…the man was…..beneath even a commoner! On his vest he wore the mark of the castle –_he was a servant of the keep_!

The young man cleared his throat and then coughed. "I…err, my King, Sir…., I –" Quickly, he bowed. "Sir, I…I slept here last night, and I thought it'd be a good night, Sir, much better than my usual –though mind, my usual bedding is fine, Sir, fine, very fine, you do provide for us well Sir, but…er….I could not sleep, the pain, it was too much, and I've aches all over, and Sir," Here, he pushed the arms of his shirt up, showing bruises, black and blue, across his skin. "It were a painful night, Sir, and when I mentioned it this morn, to Setsuna, she said I must…errr, inform you, not, Sir, not, Sir, that I say you do not provide –"

"Enough, enough," The King cut the young man off sharply, and then looked towards his daughter. "Michiru, does _this_…fellow fit?"

The Princess smiled and nodded. "It is as the vision foretold Father. My marriage will ward off disaster, and bring further years of peace."

"I see." The King looked at the servant again. "And where is it that you work, boy?"

"I am a stable hand, Sir," The man said proudly, standing up straighter. "Been here five years Sir."

"I see. Michiru…..you are willing….to marry a stable hand….for the sake of…..your vision?"

The Princess nodded again, a determined look across her face. "Father, I will do this, for the sake of our Kingdom. I am willing."

The King looked over the servant again and then sighed heavily. "And so it must be then. Tonight, young man, you will marry my daughter, as has been foretold in her vision. It is indeed an unexpected rise in your station, but the gods have strange ways of working, and my daughter's visions must be heeded. I know not what your plans were for this eve, boy, but put your previous life aside, and make haste and prepare for your marriage."

He turned to leave, and then turned back. "Tonight, young man, you will be welcome into my family, and tonight, you will become a Prince. You must take these responsibilities on with pride and honour."

The man smiled and bowed, but as the King turned again, the Princess spoke. "Father…I fear there has been a slight misunderstanding."

"Yes, dearest?"

"Well, Father, Haruka here, the only person to have felt the pain of the pea underneath twenty mattresses and twenty featherbeds, and the person I must wed, will not in fact be a Prince this evening, but indeed, a _Princess_."

The King stared at her, baffled. "Whatever do you mean, Michiru?"

"Haruka is a woman, and the vision did not specify a gender, and thus, it is her I must wed."

The King blinked, looked at Haruka, and then blinked again. "But! It is unheard of, no….two women…..Michiru….this…."

"Father, it is as you said. The gods have strange ways of working, and my visions must be heeded," The Princess smiled at her father, before she walked up to her bride to be, and took her hand. "Haruka, we must not tarry, we've much to prepare for tonight."

She turned to the King, who was still staring at her, speechless. "Father, I trust you are with me, that however strange the tidings of my visions may be, they must be heeded."

"I….yes…yes indeed…"

"Good," She leaned up and kissed her father on the cheek. Pulling Haruka with her, she left.

The Princess laid in her new wife's arms, their bedroom now a quiet sanctuary from the revelry that was still continuing outside.

"I cannot believe…..that we are here, that we are wed….," Haruka said, her voice tinged with awe, as she stared at the woman beside her. "Dearest, you are beyond anything…."

Michiru smiled softly. "When I saw you first, my dear Haruka, all those years ago, the feelings within me, were nothing I had ever felt before. And now, years we have been together, and every one of those feelings are the same. You are the only one for me, and whatever measures I had to take to make you mine, I took. I love you and only you, and could not ever love another."

Haruka pulled Michiru even closer. "That this is real, I can scarcely believe."

"Dearest, you have ever been the only thing that is real to me."

"My love…."

The Princess and her new bride looked at each other tenderly, and kissed.

_So the princess loved her new wife, and cherished her till the end of her days; and the pea was put in the museum, where it may still be seen, if no one has stolen it._

_ There, that is a true story._


End file.
